Richarson said: "Rather than having a transactional mindset and packing my schedule with back-to-back meetings, I'll approach the 2017 show in the same way that I approached the 2009 RECon during the Great Recession.

"Back then, I was there for education and revelation: I went to the RECon plenary sessions, seminar sessions, and breakfast roundtable discussions to try and make sense of the new, unstable, and strange world that we were facing. This year too, I want listen to and learn from experts and outsiders so I can understand what the heck is happening out there.

"The reason for the shift in my POV is the current shaky state of American retail. To say that the robust shopping industry that so many of us fell in love with is under siege is an understatement."